That number is the entire pool of financial assets in the United States, according to Joshua M. Brown. While many may not have enough to put away in a retirement account, those who can save, save in vast quantities, he writes.

Trader Fred Demarco works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange in this October 2012 file photo. In our have and have-nots nation, those who have been saving have saved quite a lot, Brown writes.

Know what that number is? The entire pool of financial assets in the United States - a combination of bank accounts, brokerage accounts, mutual fund assets and retirement plan assets.

This number is carved out of the gross $72.2 trillion in US household assets (including real estate). Netting out all household debt, US households have an unencumbered net worth of $58.4 trillion.

And then separating hard assets, we arrive at that $41.8 trillion in financial assets. $28.6 trillion of that is in so-called investable assets and the other $13.2 trillion is in retirement accounts (401ks, pensions, etc). $41.8 trillion is a big number.

Someone asked me yesterday why there was so much financial advertising going on if so few Americans have money put away for retirement. That number is the reason why. Because in our have and have-nots nation, those who have been saving have saved quite a lot. And everyone wants to to clip a fee from that number - the bigger, the better.